


The Red Collar

by kathkin



Series: Summerpornathon 2011 [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:55:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathkin/pseuds/kathkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern!AU. The first time someone else puts the collar on Merlin he finds out that it feels... different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Red Collar

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://summerpornathon.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://summerpornathon.livejournal.com/)**summerpornathon**  challenge four: first times.
> 
> Now available as a podfic read by [](http://sophinisba.livejournal.com/profile)[**sophinisba**](http://sophinisba.livejournal.com/) [here](http://sophinisba.dreamwidth.org/349386.html).

Merlin had bought the collar mostly as a joke. It had been one of those things that had seemed like a great idea at four in the morning, and then completely stupid when it arrived wrapped discreetly in brown paper three days later and he had to sign for it, cheeks burning. But he had to try it on, obviously, because he’d paid for it and all, and it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, so naturally he decided to try wanking in it, two fingers hooked into the red leather to pull it extra tight. After that turned out to be kind of spectacular, it wasn’t long before he took to wearing the collar around the flat, because it made doing the dishes less boring, and because putting it on gave him an odd sense of contentment. He only wore it when he was alone, of course, because it was kind of embarrassing, and besides, it was a private thing, just for him, and he told himself he didn’t want to share it.

Of course, the first time somebody else put the collar on him, he found out just how wrong he was.

He and Arthur had been dating for a couple of months, so it was hardly the first time Arthur had been in Merlin’s flat. It also was not the first time Merlin had managed to spill wine all over Arthur’s shirt, much to his shame. He apologised repeatedly, while Arthur assured him it was fine in a tone that made it quite clear that it was _not_ fine and it was a very expensive shirt, thank you very much, and Merlin was flustered enough to send Arthur off to his bedroom to get a clean shirt from the wardrobe without thinking about what else he kept in his wardrobe. He remembered a good few minutes too late, and by the time he got there Arthur was already holding the collar, turning it back and forth in his hands.

“What’s this?” he said, standing shirtless in front of the open wardrobe.

“It’s, um, a collar,” said Merlin.

“But you don’t have a dog,” said Arthur.

“It’s not a dog collar,” said Merlin. “It’s. Well, it’s a people collar.” Arthur stretched the collar out to its full length and stared at it some more. His expression would have been funny had Merlin not been so utterly mortified. “It’s just –” he broke off, torn between _fancy dress costume_ and _gag gift_.

“This is one of those fetish things, isn’t it?” Arthur held up the collar. “So you wear this?”

“Oh god,” said Merlin. “Can we never speak of this again?”

“Will you put it on for me, then?” said Arthur.

“…What.” This was not how Merlin had expected Arthur to react.

“I bet it looks good on you. Does it look good on you?”

“Well, no-one’s ever seen it on me before,” Merlin admitted.

“Put it on, then,” said Arthur with a grin.

“Stop smirking,” said Merlin. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m not smirking,” said Arthur. “I just – I don’t know. I want to see it on you.” He took a hesistant step forward and held the collar out, then, when Merlin didn’t take it, he wrapped it around Merlin’s neck anyway.

The little _clink_ of the buckle made Merlin’s breath hitch. Arthur pulled the collar tight, fingers gentle against Merlin’s skin, then stepped back to admire the effect.

“I like it,” he said. “It’s red. Red’s a good colour.” He ran his fingers across the edge of the collar, the sensitive skin of Merlin’s neck, and Merlin swallowed. It was… different. Having someone else put the collar on. When it was just him it was nice, but now it was properly turning him on. He could feel his pulse throbbing in his neck where the collar was a little too tight.

“So, um,” he said. “Dinner? We were going to have dinner.”

“I’m not hungry,” said Arthur, and kissed him, then drew back and pressed his lips against Merlin’s neck instead, just below the collar, then tugged it down to run his tongue across the skin underneath.

“Yeah, I’m not hungry either,” said Merlin. He felt Arthur’s grin against his neck, and then Arthur hooked his fingers through the D-ring and towed Merlin to the bed, threw him down and straddled him.

“So when do you wear it?” he said, pressing his hips down against Merlin’s. God, he was hard already. “Do you wear it when you touch yourself?”

“Yeah,” said Merlin. “And sometimes – just around the flat.” He threw back his head and moaned. They hadn’t even bothered to take their trousers off, Arthur had just started rutting up against him like a horny teenager, and they couldn’t stop now. “I like wearing it.”

“Fuck,” said Arthur. “That’s – kind of hot.” He moved his hips in a slow circle and reached out for the collar again, hooked his fingers around it and held on tight. Merlin gasped and clutched at the sheets behind his head. “You look so hot like this.” He thrust up against Merlin, grinding their erections together, and Merlin mewled and writhed and came so hard that everything went blurry around the edges.

When he opened his eyes, Arthur was slummped on top of him, still gripping the collar. “Hi,” he said, because he wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Hi,” said Arthur, kissing him, tugging at his lips gently, tongue slipping into his mouth, and they did that for a while, all curled up together on the bed.

“So that was really the first time anyone else has seen you in it?” said Arthur once they finally drew apart.

“Yeah, I guess,” said Merlin. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“You look gorgeous in it,” said Arthur.

“I kind of thought you were going to freak out and break up with me or something,” said Merlin.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Arthur, running his fingers up and down the collar thoughtfully. “It’s fantastic. And kind of filthy.”

Merlin had to laugh at that, because it really wasn’t that filthy and Arthur just seemed so adorably vanilla.

But then a few days later Arthur surprised him with a brand new leash in matching red leather and an offer to ‘take him out for walkies’, and Merlin felt his prick twitch in his jeans just at the thought, and he decided, right there and then, that Arthur was _definitely_ a keeper.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] The Red Collar](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4783061) by [sophinisba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophinisba/pseuds/sophinisba)




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